Think INC: Hot Takes With Hoff & Pepper

Chattanooga-based hot sauce makers Aaron “Hoff” and Michell “Pepper” Hoffman know a thing or two about turning up the heat.

They’ve found a way into countless kitchens through their small-batch offerings of handmade Hoff & Pepper sauces.

What started as two hot sauce connoisseurs making home recipes grew into one of the hottest clients coming through the Hamilton County Business Development Center’s (BDC) INCubator program.

Since joining the INCubator, the company has gone from one to 20 full-time employees supplying eight mouth-watering products across 4,000 stores. They’ve been listed as one of Chrissy Teigen’s “10 best hot sauces of all time” and tested the taste buds of stars including, David Chang, Derrick Lewis and Jimmy Kimmel in recent seasons of the hit YouTube show, Hot Ones.

As they prepare to graduate from the INCubator program and move production into a new facility, the hot sauce entrepreneurs sat down to discuss how the INCubator and the BDC helped scale their business.

Watch Hoff & Pepper talk all things INCubator and BDC below.

Learn more about the company’s success story, here.

Think INC is a series of success stories from INCubator companies past and present. Chattanooga’s INCubator — the largest business incubator in the state of Tennessee and the third largest in the United States, with 127,000 square feet of space for entrepreneurs — is located in the Hamilton County Business Development Center (BDC) in Downtown Chattanooga, TN.

Other Topics

Ruby Falls is the tallest and deepest underground cave waterfall in the United States that's open to the public.   And, while the breathtaking waterfall is undoubtedly the main attraction, the business operations are equally impressive behind the scenes. As…

Small businesses form the backbone of our local economy. Each year our Chattanooga Chamber takes time to recognize the small businesses in our community that serve as examples of excellence. Join us in celebrating these local finalists during Chamber Awards…

Payments have become a focal point for merchants and consumers alike over the past three years. Digital payment adoption and usage ticked up during the pandemic and retailers were faced with swiftly adapting to these new payment practices to stay…

In part due to the digital transformation of commerce, financial crime is a growing and fast-changing concern for consumers, banks, economies, and governments worldwide. Ben Wallach and Ian Mitchell, armed with their experience in combatting fraud for more than 25 years, began…

Nominations for Protégé Chattanooga 2023-24 are now open, Toya Moore, Leadership Development Director, Chattanooga Chamber Foundation announces.   “Protégé Chattanooga supports the development of our city’s future leaders and aims to empower those working to better our communities,” Moore said.   “The…

Chamber Chatt is a video series offering community members the chance to hear from elected officials and those in public service. This month’s Chamber Chatt was recorded live inside the Chattanooga Chamber’s Connection Conference Center, Powered by EPB. Sharon Law,…

Sign up for weekly updates.